To amuse or muse? That is the question!

You already know from my previous post that it is Fair Time around here.  :)  We love the State Fair and love the memories we have made there in years gone by.  This past weekend was no exception... what a great time with the family!

I will admit, though, that I am not here to necessarily talk about all of the fun.  I want to get you thinking.

I have been mulling over this topic for weeks and the Lord has continued to give me thoughts and ideas during this time.  It all started when my Sunday School teacher shared that "amuse" is the opposite of "muse." 

I never thought of that before and I guess it is because we do not use the word "muse" most of the time in our everyday language nowadays.  I mean, really, who walks around saying, "I just took time to muse over the latest headline."  In our culture today the word "AMUSE" is so much more prevalent.  Let's look at their definitions.  (Yes, this is the school teacher coming out in me.....)

MUSE

[myooz]

verb (used without object), mused, musing.

1.  to think or meditate in silence, as on some subject.

2.  Archaic. to gaze meditatively or wonderingly.

verb (used with object), mused, musing.

3.  to meditate on.

4.  to comment thoughtfully or ruminate upon.

 

 

AMUSE

[uh-myooz]

verb (used with object), amused, amusing.

1.  to hold the attention of (someone) pleasantly; entertain or divert in an enjoyable or cheerful manner:

2.  to cause mirth, laughter, or the like, in:

3.  to cause (time, leisure, etc.) to pass agreeably.

4. Archaic. to keep in expectation by flattery, pretenses, etc.

5. Obsolete.

1. to engross; absorb.
2. to puzzle; distract.

What do we find ourselves doing most of the time?  Think about it.

 

Do we take the time to be still and MUSE in silence, or do we AMUSE ourselves constantly with music, TV, busyness, going, going, and going?

 

 

 

I know for our life, and it is mild compared to most people, we are too busy most of the time.  Some of it is out of necessity because it is just "life" in this present world.  But is it really "life?"  

 

We are so busy going nowhere that we take very little time to stop, think, and meditate.  

 

I see it in myself.

 

I see it in my own children.

I see it in my students.

 

I see it in other adults.

 

When we do have a few minutes of quiet, we reach for the electronic gadget that will pass the minutes.  We reach for something that will take our mind off of the ability to muse.

 

Why do we do that?

 

It seems we have become so ingrained that we need Amusing that we do not know how to muse any longer. 

 

I cannot compete with fast electronics.  I cannot compete with games.  However, I must do it every day to capture the attention of my students and sometimes my own children.  There are even days I have to do it to capture the attention of adults.  

I want to teach my own children how to muse.  I want to teach them to think deeply and take the time to dig into learning something without needing it to be flashy, humorous or entertaining.  I want my students to walk away from my classroom having an appreciation for thinking on something just for the value of what was gained by musing!

 

I am learning to do the same.

 

This past summer I took the time to MUSE.  

 

I DID NOT.....

 

deep clean my house.

 

obsess over the neatness.

 

make it a habit to go, go, go.

 

 

I DID, however...

 

spend time in God's Word

 

sit quietly at my kitchen table

 

took time to think

 

 

When school began again, I will admit that I was a bit sad.  As much as I LOVE teaching, I also enjoyed the precious time of musing.  I enjoyed the time of less busyness and more quality time of thinking.  I was not ready to be in the "rat race" again. 

 

We all need that time of quietness and thinking.

 

How about you?  Do you really take time to muse?  

 

Nothing is wrong with being amused at times, but God's Word is clear that in order to know the Lord you must be still and quiet.  You must take the time to get to know Him.

 

The Lord gave me this verse the other day.  The end of it stopped me in my tracks.  

 

 

Isaiah 30:15 ~  For thus saith the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: 

and ye would not.

 

We live in a society today that wants little or nothing of the Lord.  It is all about the "ME" factor.  They want to be entertained... amused.  Even our churches are becoming an entertainment field instead of a time of pure worship and musing.  We must take the time to stop, rest, and become quiet before the Lord so that confidence from Him will be our strength.

 

In order to do that, AMUSEMENT must go away so that MUSING can stay.

 

Think on that.